And for that matter -- is there an even cheaper DIY solution if I head on over to the amplifier section of the forums? I don't know a thing about that... wouldn't even know which of the forums to look in... chimp amp?

I bought the amp a little under a month ago and I have very few complaints about it (even less when I consider the price). The few comments I have are that it will not be a party type of plate amp. I ran mine loud for probably 20 minutes before it shut down due to over heating. It will play loud (and it will do so cleanly) but not for extended periods of time.

The circut protection also works (I tested that on purpose by shorting the line).

The signal is very clean with almost no audible hum even if the signal is turned to full volume.

With no other references on plate amps, I say that it is a great deal for what it costs. It's a clean, reliable, and surprisingly powerful plate amp. I have it mated to a single Ascendant Audio Assassin 12" subwoofer and it can definitly pump out some bass.

The only complaint I have about it is the auto mode. Since I use my subwoofer in my bedroom at very low listening levels most of the time, usually the signal from my reciever isn't high enough to kick the amp back on. No big deal though all things considered; I can deal with it.

I'd recommend the plate amp highly.

PS, there's a 5 db boost around 35 Hz, and it works well with a sealed enclosure, but when I build my ported box, I think I will remove the boost.